Problems driving at night vertigo Posted: 02-24-08 18:23pm
I have been suffering from TMJ since 2004.
When it first happened I could not drive
because it felt like the car was pulling
to the right. As time went on, the driving
during the day has come back to almost
normal. The night time driving is still a
problem especially on a highway. It feels
like my eyes are the problem. It is
driving me crazy. The eye doctor says my
eyes are fine. My ears are always clogged
and my facial pain is severe. Does any one
else experience night time driving
difficulty from vertigo or dizziness?
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 02-24-08 19:18pm
lots of people have problems with vertigo
or dizzyness. I dont think that its your
eyes. it could be your ears. the tmj puts
pressure on your ears and in particular
the eustation tube.
Have you been to an ENT? YOu should try
that and also take some anti inflamitories
before you drive as well as appling heat
to the joint/ear area. try that--and keep
us updated.
do you have a good doctor to go to for the
tmd? what all have you tried?
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tmjnightmare
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 4
My story is full of ups and downs....... Posted: 02-25-08 21:38pm
I have been to 3 ENT's, a Chiropractor, an
Oral Surgeon and an Acupucturist. The
ENT's said there was nothing wrong. The
Oral Surgeon said I had TMJ. The
Chiropractor helped with the neck pain and
the Acupuncture didn't really help at all.
It all started, believe it or not when my
son told me a joke when I was driving. I
laughed so hard and opened my mouth so
wide that my jaw snapped. I actually lost
vision for 5 seconds which the Eye Doctor
said was normal with a TMJ episode. Since
then I have had extreme facial pain,
vertigo, sore neck muscles and headaches.
I have tried a lot of different treatments
but as soon as I get one problem under
control, another one gets worse.
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catswold
Supporter
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 404 Location: Flint, Michigan
Posted: 02-26-08 13:06pm
How are you being treated for your TMJ?
Bite splint? Medications? Etc.? Night
driving is more difficult for me and I
don't know if it's related to my TMJ or
not. You already may be aware that the
face has a major nerve called Trigeminal
that has 3 major branches - one along
lower jaw, another right across the middle
(cheek bones) and the other around the
eyes. This nerve has a major spot or
ganglion where all the branches meet and
it is right at the TMjoint. You could
have injured this nerve resulting in
Trigeminal Neuropathy.
The really bad face pain I have began
about 5 years ago has been helped with a
medication called Lyrica. It is a
God-send to me. I recently tried to wean
off the medication just to see what would
happen (and try and cut costs) and the
face pain came back full-strength.
This is something you could look into.
There is no way to check for it other than
the doctor needs to listen and then you
can try the med starting at a very low
dose and build up to the "working" dose of
75 mg. 3 times each day. Once we tried to
increase the dose and it did adversely
affect my cognitive function, so I'm back
down to the working dose. My eyes are
clearer now that the pain in my face and
TMJ is controlled. Now I just don't like
to drive at night but will.
Talk to your doc and see what comes of it.
Please take care.
God bless...
Carol
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tmjnightmare
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 4
Medications Posted: 02-26-08 19:54pm
I wear a splint at night. It helps
sometimes but there are days when the
clenching is so bad that I wake up in
pain. The only med prescribed for me was
Valium. This always releives the facial
pain but I don't like taking it. It also
helps me with the night driving so I take
it sparingly especially if I must travel
far at night. I have noticed over the
years that if my allergies act up or I get
a sinus infection, this makes it ten times
worse. Now I am trying Guafenisin and
Nasalcrom. I read somewhere that some
people have good results because they both
work on relieving inflammation and help
open the eustachion tubes. I've tried alot
of different things so I guess I'll try
this combo.
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 02-27-08 14:57pm
yes do try it--everything is worth a
try-let us know if this works
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jennikay
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 25
I know what you mean Posted: 04-03-08 10:48am
I have probs with the same thing that you
do I really, really hate driving during
the DAY though. I don't have the problem
at night time like you do but I know what
you are going through. I also have TMJ and
I feel like I am pulled to the left the
dominant side that I have TMJ.
